Petero Civoniceva

Petero Civoniceva

Civoniceva while training with the Maroons in 2009
Personal information
Born	21 April 1976 (1976-04-21) Suva, Fiji
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	116 kg (18 st 4 lb)
Playing information
Position	Prop, Second-row
Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1998–07	Brisbane Broncos	215	22	0	0	88
2008–11	Penrith Panthers	74	3	0	0	12
2012–	Brisbane Broncos	0	0	0	0	0
	Total	289	25	0	0	100
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
2001–11	Queensland	30	1	0	0	4
2001–10	Australia	45	2	0	0	8
2009	Prime Minister's XIII	1	0	0	0	0
As of 10 April 2011
Source: NRL Stats, League Central and Rugby League Project

Petero Civoniceva (born 21 April 1976) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently contracted to the Brisbane Broncos of the National Rugby League. A Queensland State of Origin and Australian international representative prop forward, in 2009 he broke the record for most international matches for Australia of any forward in history. Civoniceva previously played his club football for the Penrith Panthers and before that the Brisbane Broncos, with whom he won the 1998, 2000 and 2006 NRL Premierships. The Petero Civoniceva Medal is awarded to the Australian Fijian rugby league player of the year.

Early Life

Civoniceva was born in Suva, Fiji, where his father, Petero Sr, was a rugby union player. Civoniceva's parents moved to Redcliffe, Queensland before his first birthday. There he attended Humpybong State School, then Redcliffe State High School before finishing his senior schooling at Frawley College, now known as Southern Cross Catholic College.

Playing Career

Brisbane Broncos

After 39 reserve grade games he began his NRL career as a centre with the Brisbane Broncos. He won the club's Rookie of the Year award in 1998 and went on to play from the bench in Brisbane's 1998 NRL grand final win at the end of the season.

Civoniceva missed the Broncos grand final victory in 2000 due to injury, as well as Australia's 2000 World Cup campaign. His international and State of Origin debuts came the following year. At the end of the 2001 NRL season, he went on the 2001 Kangaroo tour.

After the 2003 NRL season he went on the 2003 Kangaroo tour.

Civoniceva won the Brisbane club's Player of the Year award in 2004 and again in 2006, when he played at prop in the Broncos' 2006 NRL Grand Final victory.

The following season, at the Broncos' 20-year anniversary celebration, the club announced a list of the 20 best players to play for them to date which included Civoniceva.

In round 8 of NRL season 2007, Civoniceva played his 200th game for the Brisbane club, becoming only the eighth Broncos player to do so.

Civoniceva's Brisbane contract ended at the conclusion of the 2007 season. The Broncos decision to withdraw the contract to the prop was due to salary cap restrictions.

Penrith Panthers

Civoniceva signed to play for the Penrith Panthers for the 2008 season. The deal is for 2 years with an option for a third and is believed to be worth $370,000 a year. Civoniceva's move to New South Wales and another NRL team rather than relocating to England allowed him to continue to be available to represent both Australia and Queensland.

In January, 2008, Penrith Panthers announced Civoniceva as captain of the team for 2008.

In August 2008, Civoniceva was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad.

His deal with Penrith was set to expire at the end of the 2009 NRL season. He re-signed with Penrith until the end of 2012.

Civoniceva was selected for Australia in the one-off test match against New Zealand on 8 May 2009.

He went on to play in Queensland's State of Origin victories in game 1 and then game 2, but suffered a season-ending foot injury in the first half of the second match. After sitting out the remainder of the NRL season, his next match was for Australia against New Zealand in the opening match of the 2009 Four Nations in London. By playing in the final, a victory against England, Civoniceva became the first forward in history to play forty internationals for Australia.

In 2010, Civoniceva led the Panthers to second place on the NRL ladder at the conclusion of the season, but in the penultimate round of the season he was sent off for a high tackle against the Bulldogs which resulted in him being suspended for two weeks. As a result, he missed Penrith's first qualifying final, where despite a brave effort the Panthers lost by just two points against the Canberra Raiders.

In Round 5 of the 2011 season, Civoniceva scored his first try since Round 8, 2008, against the Canberra Raiders in the 36–10 thrashing at Centrebet Stadium. He was one of the stars of Queensland's victory in Origin 1, 2011, running for more than 150m and outperforming the NSW forwards.

Civoniceva scored his second try of the season in Round 16 against the North Queensland Cowboys, which was a 30-20 victory by the Panthers. The try involved a skilful left foot step from close range that left several Cowboys players, including Matthew Bowen, grasping at thin air. This was the Women in League round, and also the rookie coach, Steve Georgallis' first game as coach for the Penrith Panthers.

Civoniceva's stint at Penrith ended on a low, with the Panthers failing to qualify for the Semi-Finals, and thrashed by the St. George Illawarra Dragons, 32-12, at Round 26. Civoniceva also succumbed to a torn pectoral muscle injury during the 22nd minute of the game.

Return to Red Hill

On 26 July 2011 it was announced that the Penrith Panthers released Civoniceva from the final year of his contract, within the week, it was final that he had signed to return to his original club, the Brisbane Broncos on a one year deal.

External links

• Penrith Panthers profile
• Petero Civoniceva at the Former Origin Greats website.
• Petero Civoniceva at the State of Origin official website.
• 2001 Ashes profile
• Big Petero up with the best, say greats – nrl.com article, Tuesday, 1 May 2007 – 4:38 PM